If I were an art teacher...

Shelby Williams

English 101 – Paper #3

Sonia Begert

 

A classroom devoid of all control. A teacher who cannot maintain the children. A learning environment where there is no learning. Imagine now that you were the teacher in said classroom. How would you gain control? How would you create a fun, interesting learning environment that motivates students to learn, and gives them the confidence to try new things? In my classroom, I would use a combination of art supplies to promote creativity, spontaneous lesson plans to keep my students on their feet, and a curriculum that the students help create to spark interest in learning. If I were a teacher, I would be a high school art teacher, because as Georgia O'Keeffe said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.” Art gives people -particularly confused and angst-filled teenagers- an outlet to let out their feelings.

When I walk into my class I will see chaos. That’s all these students know. They know teachers who let themselves be pushed around, and who don’t maintain control. What will cure this? Shock. I plan to start out my first day with the element of shock. I will walk into my classroom, not making a sound, not talking to any of the students. The art class will already have plastic on the floors for protection, and plastic covering the desks and chairs. I will put cans of paint on my desk and open them one by one, watching the students. Once I am sure they aren’t paying attention, I will grab a handful of paint, and smack my hand against a wall. Now that I have their attention, I will say “Alright. It’s time to decorate our classroom. Everyone will get a small space to put your ‘mark’. Your own personal painting or drawing on the wall, along with your signature. Once you’re done, please have a seat.” This tactic will shock the students, to the point where they’ll listen to what I have to say. It will spark their interest in what I’m telling them to do. It’s out of the ordinary, and very new.

Lesson plans are supposed to give teachers an outline on what they’re teaching that day. To help them plan the day, and plan the learning. But I believe you can’t plan the learning. You have to slip it in there somewhere the students will not even realize, like children and their vegetables. In order to learn about an art style, we would first examine the artist in question’s work. Figure out what they meant behind the piece, then what styles they used to convey that message. All of my lessons would be, to the students, spontaneous! Not boring and dependable. As Paolo Freire states in his essay Educational Banking, “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.”  They should be fun and informative, not memorizing and regurgitating information on a test.

After that first day of classroom decorating, I plan put all the desks against the walls, and arrange the chairs in a large circle. I will have a notebook and a pen. When everyone is seated and quiet, I will begin, “In this classroom, you will decide what we learn. Tell me what YOU want to learn, and I will make it work with our school’s curriculum.” This will get the students thinking. What DO they want to learn from me? Instead of pushing some school board-created agenda, I will let the students choose, and help them alter it to fit the requirements for the class. This will insure that whatever I’m teaching, the students will be interested and will be paying attention.

My classroom would be different. I would run it differently from any other teacher. There would no longer be chaos and bored students. Instead, there would be busy students immersed in their work, and intrigued by what they are doing. My students would be interested in learning, just as interested as Audre Lorde. In her piece Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre’s first words were “I want to read.” My students would excel, simply because of their DESIRE to do well, and to learn what I teach them. Each of my students would be important to me, and making sure they reach their goals would be a goal of mine. I would make sure to have connections with students, to be devoted to them, and have them devoted to me. A good example of this is the scene of the end of Dead Poet’s Society. As Mr. Keating is leaving the school for the final time, the students stand on their desk and say to him, “O Captain, My Captain.” This kind of devotion is the dream of all great teachers. In Dan Brown’s essay What Makes a Great Teacher, he states, “Many people posses the dispositions needed to be a great teacher. However, actually becoming one means an embrace of one’s craft, tremendous dedication to the job and continuous improvement, and participation in a healthy system that provides high-quality preparation, robust support, and environments that facilitate powerful student learning.” This is the teacher I would be.

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited Page

 

Lorde, Audre. Zami, a New Spelling of My Name. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing, 1982. Print.

The quote "I want to read."

 

 

Freire, Paolo. Educational Banking. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

The quote, “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.”

 

Dead Poet's Society. Dir. Peter Weir. Perf. Robin Williams. N.d. DVD. Web.

The last scene, the quote, "O Captain, My Captain."

 

"Great Art Quotes." Great Art Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

Georgia O'Keeffe said, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.”

 

Brown, Dan. What Makes a Great Teacher. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

The quote, “Many people posses the dispositions needed to be a great teacher. However, actually becoming one means an embrace of one’s craft, tremendous dedication to the job and continuous improvement, and participation in a healthy system that provides high-quality preparation, robust support, and environments that facilitate powerful student learning.”

Paper #3 ROUGH DRAFT

A classroom devoid of all control. A teacher who cannot maintain the children. A learning environment where there is no learning. Imagine now that you were the teacher in said classroom. How would you gain control? How would you create a fun, interesting learning environment that motivates students to learn, and gives them the confidence to try new things? In my classroom, I would use a combination of art supplies to promote creativity, spontaneous lesson plans to keep my students on their feet, and a curriculum that the students help create to spark interest in learning.

When I walk into my class I will see chaos. That’s all these students know. They know teachers who let themselves be pushed around, and who don’t maintain control. What will cure this? Shock. I plan to start out my first day with the element of shock. I will walk into my classroom, not making a sound, not talking to any of the students. The art class will already have plastic on the floors for protection, and plastic covering the desks and chairs. I will put cans of paint on my desk and open them one by one, watching the students. Once I am sure they aren’t paying attention, I will grab a handful of paint, and smack my hand against a wall. Now that I have their attention, I will say “Alright. It’s time to decorate our classroom. Everyone will get a small space to put your ‘mark’. Your own personal painting or drawing on the wall, along with your signature. Once you’re done, please have a seat.” This tactic will shock the students, to the point where they’ll listen to what I have to say. It will spark their interest in what I’m telling them to do. It’s out of the ordinary, and very new.

Lesson plans are supposed to give teachers an outline on what they’re teaching that day. To help them plan the day, and plan the learning. But I believe you can’t plan the learning. You have to slip it in there somewhere the students will not even realize. Like children and vegetables. In order to learn about an art style, we would first examine the artist in question’s work. Figure out what they meant behind the piece, then what styles they used to convey that message. All of my lessons would be, to the students, spontaneous! They should be fun and informative, but not memorizing and regurgitating information on a test (insert Educational Banking quote here.)  

After that first day of classroom decorating, I plan put all the desks against the walls, and arrange the chairs in a large circle. I will have a notebook and a pen. When everyone is seated and quiet, I will begin, “In this classroom, you will decide what we learn. Tell me what YOU want to learn, and I will make it work with our school’s curriculum.” This will get the students thinking. What DO they want to learn from me? Instead of pushing some school board-created agenda, I will let the students choose, and help them alter it to fit the requirements for the class. This will insure that whatever I’m teaching, the students will be interested and will be paying attention.

My classroom would be different. I would run it differently from any other teacher. There would no longer be chaos and bored students. Instead, there would be busy students immersed in their work, and intrigued by what they are doing. My students would excel, simply because of their DESIRE to do well, and to learn what I teach them. Each of my students would be important to me, and making sure they reach their goals would be a goal of mine. If I were a teacher… THIS is how I would run my classroom.

 

I still don't have any sources or citations. I will be adding those when I revise this draft.

Final Draft, Paper 2

Shelby Williams

Sonia Begert

English 101

 

I find that many teachers have very different styles of teaching. Whether they get through to their students or not, I believe, is how they teach. If a teacher uses fear of failure to get students to comply, I believe that it COULD be effective… but not memorable. The most important quality a teacher could instill in a student is confidence, whether it is through the material they teach, what attitude they themselves project, or how they interact with their students. Two teachers that really stood out in my mind were Mrs. E and Mrs. P.

Mrs. E was a middle school teacher of mine, and loved all her students. She was kind and insightful, and always thought of brilliant and fun ways to conduct her class. She loved having the student’s converse with her during class, and never, not once, did I hear her give a negative comment. Mrs. P however, was a totally different story. She was a high school English teacher, and most of the time… was not all that kind. She was loud and dictatorial. She liked things done her way, and nothing else would suffice. She liked to give feedback to her students, however, that feedback was hardly ever positive. Most of the students in her class didn’t speak up, for fear of being shot down for their idea, or even made fun of by Mrs. P herself. While Mrs. E encouraged her students to be confident in what they do, Mrs. P found confidence in her students to be annoying.

Mrs. E was a science teacher. The material she taught was fun, amazing, and mind-boggling. She had so much passion for what she was teaching, therefore, that passion was passed down to her students. Her students WANTED to learn! In her essay, Audre Lord’s first words were “I want to read”. That same desire for learning was always passed down to the students in Mrs. E’s classes. Our desire led us to strive to do well, which gave us great grades, and in turn, gave us confidence. We once had an assignment to take one of the planets and either do a travel brochure, a TV ad, or a song about it (keep in mind; this was a middle school science class!). Most of the kids didn’t feel comfortable singing a song in front of the entire class about a planet; I didn’t either! Although, my partner wanted to. And once Mrs. E heard of our plan… she was totally on board. She knew it was probably the hardest of the three assignments, and gave us special help with it. By the time we were done, we had a one and a half page song about Neptune that rhymed and everything! Without Mrs. E’s support of our plans, we would have never been able to go through with it. She gave us encouragement, and positive reinforcement that, in turn, made us confident to get up in front of a class, and sing a song about Neptune.

Mrs. P was an English teacher. The things she taught were pretty basic. This is how you write a paper… this is how you form a paragraph… this is how you grab your reader’s attention, etc. We’ve been learning about that since elementary school! The thing that made her so uninspiring… she didn’t look for ways to spice up her course material. Now, Mrs. P was a teacher who truly did know what she was talking about. But she was mean. She treated the classroom like it was her kingdom, and we were all her mindless servants. Anything she said HAD to be correct. Anything she did HAD to be profound… at least, in her mind it was. She was a teacher who discouraged confidence in everything she said or did. If a student went out on a limb to try something new… it was shot down. She didn’t like ‘new’, she liked ‘her way’. If a student asked a question during class… that student would be mocked by Mrs. P for asking a stupid question. Mrs. P didn’t want confident, self-sufficient students. She is much like how Paolo Freire describes education. He states, “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.”   She wanted mindless zombies who would accept her every word to be true, and never do anything unless explicitly instructed to do so.

Mrs. E was always a happy and excited teacher! She loved it when a new group of students walked through her classroom door to be taught by her.  During the time I had her as a teacher, she had family tragedies, deaths, and personal issues in her life. However, not once did it interfere with her teaching. Mr. Keating, a teacher in the movie “Dead Poet’s Society”, reminds me of her. Mr. Keating says, "Carpe diem; seize the day… Make your lives extraordinary.” Mrs. E was always trying to get us to realize our full potential. Mrs. P was a completely different story. If she was having a bad day… then WE, her students, were definitely going to have a bad day. You would know what kind of day it would be by whether or not she was stomping her feet… by how many frustrated exhales she gave… and whether or not she screamed at a kid before the bell even rang. She would then lecture about the thing we were learning about that week, not trying to hide her bad attitude. Her lecture voice would be loud and angry, punctuated by her yelling something to a student who was either falling asleep, or didn’t look like he/she was paying attention. Everyone left the classroom on those days feeling like the world could end, and they’d be happy with that.

Mrs. E kept the interactions between herself and her students to a high at all times. She loved taking the time to talk to her students, find out how their weekends were, or what they were doing over the breaks. She was always invested in her students’ lives, and could always be counted on to lend an ear.  Mrs. P was completely different. She didn’t WANT to know about her students personal lives, but made sure we knew about hers. If one of her students seemed to be struggling in their life, she would tell them that in her classroom, “nothing else matters, now pay attention.” She truly didn’t care, and didn’t want to get involved.

In my time in both Mrs. E’s class and Mrs. P’s class, I learned about two very different teachers, with two very different teaching styles. Mrs. E gave her students confidence through positive encouragement, a very positive attitude, and always showing that she cared. The students that left her classroom were generally much happier than when they entered. In his essay, ‘I Just Wanna Be Average’ part 2, Mike Rose states, "Venal though it may have been, I loved getting good grades from MacFarland." We all felt this way about Mrs. E. However, Mrs. P instilled fear and self-doubt in her students through her every action in the classroom. She didn’t like confident students, as they interfered with her own self-righteous confidence. Students who left HER class were generally upset, angry, and didn’t want to go back tomorrow. Mrs. P wasn’t ever all that interested in her students, or even in teaching. Maryellen Weimer, PhD, states in her essay, ‘Effective Teaching Strategies: Six Keys to Classroom Excellence’ that, “Truly awful teaching in higher education is most often revealed by a sheer lack of interest in and compassion for students and student learning.” Mrs. P demonstrates this perfectly.  See, teachers can influence a lot in a student’s life. The way they act and behave can determine whether there are successful outcomes in their students’ grades or not. I never knew anyone to be failing Mrs. E’s class. Although in Mrs. P’s… students were constantly failing. I think we can clearly see whose method works best here.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited Page

 

Audre Lorde’s essay

Paolo Freire “Banking Education” essay

Dead Poet’s Society, "Carpe diem; seize the day… Make your lives extraordinary.”

 ‘I Just Wanna Be Average’ part 2, "Venal though it may have been, I loved getting good grades from MacFarland."

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/effective-teaching-strategies-six-keys-to-classroom-excellence/ Maryellen Weimer, PhD, states in her essay, ‘Effective Teaching Strategies: Six Keys to Classroom Excellence’ that, “Truly awful teaching in higher education is most often revealed by a sheer lack of interest in and compassion for students and student learning.”

Paper #2 rough draft

Shelby Williams

Sonia Begert

English 101

 

I find that many teachers have very different styles of teaching. Whether they get through to their students or not, I believe, is how they teach. If a teacher uses fear of failure to get students to comply, I believe that it COULD be effective… but not memorable. The most important quality a teacher could instill in a student is confidence, whether it is through the material they teach, what attitude they themselves project, or how they interact with their students.

I had two teachers that really stuck out in my mind. One was a middle school teacher, and one was a high school teacher. Mrs. E was a middle school teacher of mine, and loved all her students. She was kind and insightful, and always thought of brilliant and fun ways to conduct her class. She loved having the student’s converse with her during class, and never, not once, did I hear her give a negative comment. Mrs. P however, was a totally different story. She was a high school English teacher, and most of the time… was not all that kind. She was loud and dictatorial. She liked things done her way, and nothing else would suffice. She liked to give feedback to her students, however, that feedback was hardly ever positive. Most of the students in her class didn’t speak up, for fear of being shot down for their idea, or even made fun of by Mrs. P herself. While Mrs. E encouraged her students to be confident in what they do, Mrs. P found confidence in her students to be annoying.

Mrs. E was a science teacher. The material she taught was fun, amazing, and mind-boggling. She had so much passion for what she was teaching, therefore, that passion was passed down to her students. Her students WANTED to learn! Most of the time it was hard for her to try a lecture on a topic because her students would interrupt… with questions about the subject. We once had an assignment to take one of the planets and either do a travel brochure, a TV ad, or a song about it (keep in mind; this was a middle school science class!). Most of the kids didn’t feel comfortable singing a song in front of the entire class about a planet; I didn’t either! Although, my partner wanted to. And once Mrs. E heard of our plan… she was totally on board. She knew it was probably the hardest of the three assignments, and gave us special help with it. By the time we were done, we had a one and a half page song about Neptune that rhymed and everything! Without Mrs. E’s support of our plans, we would have never been able to go through with it. She gave us encouragement, and positive reinforcement that, in turn, made us confident to get up in front of a class, and sing a song about Neptune.

Mrs. P was an English teacher. The things she taught were pretty basic. This is how you write a paper… this is how you form a paragraph… this is how you grab your reader’s attention… blah blah blah. We’ve been learning about that since elementary school! The thing that made her so uninspiring… she didn’t look for ways to spice up her course material, or to make it fun for her students. Now, Mrs. P was a teacher who truly did know what she was talking about. But she was mean. She treated the classroom like it was her kingdom, and we were all her mindless servants. Anything she said HAD to be correct. Anything she did HAD to be profound… at least, in her mind it was. She was a teacher who discouraged confidence in everything she said or did. If a student went out on a limb to try something new… it was shot down. She didn’t like ‘new’, she liked ‘her way’. If a student asked a question during class… that student would be mocked by Mrs. P for asking a stupid question. Mrs. P didn’t want confident, self-sufficient students. She wanted mindless zombies who would accept her every word to be true, and never do anything unless explicitly instructed to do so.

Mrs. E was always a happy and excited teacher! She loved it when a new group of students walked through her classroom door to be taught by her.  During the time I had her as a teacher, she had family tragedies, deaths, and personal issues in her life. However, not once did it interfere with her teaching. Mrs. P was a completely different story. If she was having a bad day… then WE, her students, were definitely going to have a bad day. You would know what kind of day it would be by whether or not she was stomping her feet… by how many frustrated exhales she gave… and whether or not she screamed at a kid before the bell even rang. On those days, she would either give us the toughest assignments possible… or give us silent work. Although, if she didn’t do either of those, we knew it was going to be a VERY bad day for us. She would then lecture about the thing we were learning about that week, not even trying to hide her bad attitude. Her lecture voice would be loud and angry, punctuated by her yelling something to a student who was either falling asleep, or didn’t look like he/she was paying attention. Everyone left the classroom on those days feeling like the world could end, and they’d be happy with that.

Mrs. E kept the interactions between herself and her students to a high at all times. She loved taking the time to talk to her students, find out how their weekends were, or what they were doing over the breaks. She was always invested in her students’ lives, and could always be counted on to lend an ear. During my time in her class, my parents had just decided to split up and there were a lot of changes in my life. Mrs. E noticed my change in behavior and asked about it. She knew about my family situation, and from then on, was always asking if things were getting better, or if she could do anything to help. Which, to that, I always responded, “No homework might help?” Mrs. P was completely different. She didn’t WANT to know about her students personal lives, but made sure we knew about hers. If one of her students seemed to be struggling in their life, she would tell them that in her classroom, “nothing else matters, now pay attention.” She truly didn’t care, and didn’t want to get involved.

In my time in both Mrs. E’s class and Mrs. P’s class, I learned about two very different teachers, with two very different teaching styles. Mrs. E gave her students confidence through positive encouragement, a very positive attitude, and always showing that she cared. The students that left her classroom were generally much happier than when they entered. Mrs. P instilled fear and self-doubt in her students through her every action in the classroom. She didn’t like confident students, as they interfered with her own self-righteous confidence. Students who left HER class were generally upset, angry, and didn’t want to go back tomorrow. See, teachers can influence a lot in a student’s life. The way they act and behave can determine whether there are successful outcomes in their students’ grades or not. I never knew anyone to be failing Mrs. E’s class. Although in Mrs. P’s… students were constantly failing. I think we can clearly see whos method works best here.

Beginning to my 2nd paper!

I find that many teachers have very different styles of teaching. Whether they get through to their students or not, I believe, is how they teach. If a teacher uses fear of failure to get students to comply, I believe that it COULD be effective… but not memorable. The most important quality a teacher could instill in a student, in my opinion, is confidence.

I had two teachers that really stuck out in my mind. One was a middle school teacher, and one was a high school teacher. Mrs. E was a middle school teacher of mine, and loved all her students. She was kind and insightful, and always thought of brilliant and fun ways to conduct her class. She loved having the student’s converse with her during class, and never, not once, did I hear her give a negative comment. Mrs. P however, was a totally different story. She was a high school teacher, and most of the time… was not all that kind. She was loud and dictatorial. She liked things done her way, and nothing else would suffice. She liked to give feedback to her students, however, that feedback was hardly ever positive. Most of the students in her class didn’t speak up, for fear of being shot down for their idea, or even made fun of by Mrs. P herself. While Mrs. E encouraged her students to be confident in what they do, Mrs. P found in confidence in her students to be annoying.

I am still trying to come up with a good thesis here. Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!!

"The Banking Concept of Education"

Paolo Freire gives very interesting insight on the thoughts of modern education. He compares education to “banking”.  Freire states that “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor.”  I completely agree with Freire’s assessment. In school, particularly high school, students are taught to accept the teacher’s realities as their own. They are made to accept what they say, and conform their ideas to the ideas of the educators in charge.

I believe that if you were to ask Paolo Freire what his thoughts were on standardized testing, he would have a VERY strong, very clear opinion on the matter. I think he probably highly dislikes standardized testing. They force every student to prove they know the exact same information, they know the exact same processes, and they have the exact same thought patterns as everyone else in their age group. Truly, I believe standardized testing is an unfair measure of how much a student learns. Everyone thinks differently, has different problem-solving methods, and comes to the solution in a different way. Forcing everyone to conform to one system insures that you will have some students who fail, some students who struggle, and SOME who succeed.

Dead Poet's Society- Part 2

The second half of the movie "Dead Poet's Society" was by far the most impacting and emotional. I had a feeling at the beginning of the movie that someone would die. How could they not? With such an oppressive environment, we throw in this incredibly talented boy, Neil, who wants to be an actor, despite his parents wanting him to be a doctor. The shock was the suicide. I never thought one of the boys would commit suicide.

While the rest of the boys blame the suicide on Neil's father, the school board and administrators blame it on Mr. Keating. They begin to call the boys in Mr. Keating's class in their offices. They get the boys to sign a piece of paper that says Mr. Keating encouraged the boys to create the Dead Poet's Society, and was the ultimate cause of Neil's suicide.

I think the absolute most impacting part of the movie was the very end. As the director of the school is in Mr. Keating's classroom, the students seem to be toying with being submissive or talking out. Mr. Keating comes into the classroom to get his stuff, and as he leaves, one of the students yells out that they were all forced to sign that piece of paper. Mr. Keating nods and says, "I know." Right before Keating leaves, the students, one by one, stand on their desks and say "O Captain, my Captain", much to the agitation of the school director. The movie ends with Mr. Keating saying, "Thank you boys."

Welton vs. Garfield

The schools in "Stand and Deliver" and "Dead Poet's Society" have many differences. Welton is a very prestigious, high-end boarding school for boys. The teachers expect nothing but perfection in the students' work. The parents seem to also be very involved with their students’ education at Welton. However, it seems like the parents are putting more stress on the students than the teachers. They want their boys to be doctors, or bankers, or lawyers... Noble work, but hardly passion-inducing.

In "Stand and Deliver", Garfield high school is going under. Their budgets have been cut, and their teachers weren't qualified to teach the subjects they were teaching. The student body consists of gang members and general slackers who don't have any real interest in learning. These students are there because they have to be.

The two schools are very, VERY different. In a private school, the students are paying to be there. Or, their parents are paying at least. So there's tremendous pressure to be perfect, not to mention, the school has plenty of money and resources. In Garfield, the school is terrible. The curriculum is for students far below their grades, and the teachers aren't qualified.

Dead Poet's Society- Part 1

Imagine being in a strict, all boys boarding school, where the teachers follow strict teaching patterns and don't allow any trouble... then imagine watching your new teacher walk among the students, whistling a tune, then leave the classroom. A second later, he pokes his head back and says, "Are you coming?" My guess is, you'd be just as confused as those students were!

The introduction to Mr. Keating was very unusual, but not very different from the students in "Stand and Deliver" to Mr. Escalante. Both teachers are unusual, a bit eccentric, and run their classes VERY differently than their students would expect.

In this boarding school, the teachers expect perfection. They want the students to do everything their way, and to do it right the first time. Mr. Keating had a very unusual teaching style that meant to not only teach the students about poetry, but also about life and their own potential.

In "Stand and Deliver" the teachers didn't expect much from their students, and when they did excel, they thought the only way they could have done that was through cheating. Mr. Escalante taught the students calculus... but also how much they really can accomplish, despite any personal situations.

"Stand and Deliver" response

This movie shows the very real aspect of some schools. Most of the teachers in this movie are underqualified for the subjects they're teaching, and they don't expect much out of the students.

When you first meet Mr. Escalante, he's getting told that instead of teaching computer sciences, he'll be teaching math instead, due to budget cuts and no computers. A lot of school districts are having to make compromises like this, but who is it hurting? The students, of course.

The students in the class are typical underachievers. Why? Because in their school, no one ever expected anything from them. When they get this new teacher, he implements a system that lets the students know that he DOES expect something from them, but more importantly, that they're capable of achieving it.

Throughout the movie, Mr. Escalante starts getting involved with his students lives. He knows their parents, knows what they do... it helps him relate to them, and make certain that they trust him. However, his investment in his students means that he's compromising his own family and his own home life.

So far, the first half of the movie is good.

What Makes A Good Teacher

There are many factors that make a good teacher, but I believe that the most important one is passion. A teacher has to have a love for what they do, for their students, their school, and even their community. A teacher has to have a desire to push through the hard times, and to make it to success WITH his/her students. In my academic career, I've had great teachers... and I've had terrible teachers. The thing that separates the bad from the good is the love of their job. The good teachers always want to see their students succeed; they want to help, and invest their own time to insure success. The bad teachers are the ones who never go beyond what's expected of them. They don't believe in their students, and don't really care if they fail. The difference in commitment between a good and bad teacher shows with their students. A teacher who cares about his/her students will most likely produce hard-working, dedicated students who like to learn. A teacher who doesn’t care will produce students who do just that. They don’t care.

A good teacher is invested. A good teacher cares.

Audre Lord Response

Audre Lord had a few very different experiences with her teachers. Her first experience, with Mrs. Baker, proved to be a very surprising one. A little four-year old girl, having a tantrum because she was not allowed to go to story-time, getting reprimanded by her embarrassed mother, is approached by the librarian. This woman looks like someone about to yell at Audre for her noise, but instead decides to read her some stories. Audre was captivated by the books, and at the end of her personal story-time, said "I want to read.". Audre hadn't spoken until then. Mrs. Baker was able to open up this little girl's life with reading. While she didn't do much teaching, she set everything in motion.

Audre's mother taught her how to read and to write her name.

When Audre got to her first school, Kindergarten for sight-conservation, she was ready. But the teacher gave the wrong writing utensils, the wrong kind of paper, and the wrong assignment for Audre's level. Her teacher was angry, and told Audre's parents she wasn't ready for kindergarten.

Audre was then put into the catholic school. The nuns ran the classroom with iron fists. I believe it was here that Audre learned the most. She learned how to get help from others with learning her numbers, and was able to learn them.

Ed. Nar. Final Draft!!

Education Narrative

 

 

 

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make many new friends, get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me. Through learning how to dance, I learned to not care what people thought of me, or of what I did in my life. I learned about whose opinions to really value, and the ones I could discard. I learned who my real friends were. And most importantly, I learned how to just be me.

 

The type of dance I do today is belly dance. People tend have some preconceived notions about belly dancers. Some say it’s a ‘sexy’ style of dancing, similar to strippers or pole dancers. I’ve heard it all. It’s actually a dance that requires total muscle control, musicality, and a love for sound. Belly dance is the physical representation of music using only the body.

 

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They were both beautiful girls, but in such different ways. One girl was tall and blonde, and seemed to move with grace, always. The other was shorter, also blonde, but with blue in her hair. She dressed in all black, always wearing spikes and skulls, yet she was the happiest person I ever knew. I met them through school, and at first, we didn’t seem to have much to talk about. Then, they mentioned dance. They both were so different from each other, yet had the common experience of dance to link them together. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes with these two girls, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. The girls who volunteered to do a routine in front of the dance class were so brave! And their dancing was fantastic. I felt like I could never be as great as they were. I wanted to have the courage to be with them. I wanted to be good enough to be one of them! I wanted to learn how to be able to move like that! So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

 

Let me describe a bit about the dance studio. It is in a tiny building in downtown Poulsbo called The Dance Within. The gorgeous balcony overlooks Liberty Bay, and gives a great place to just hang out. The studio itself is colorful and relaxed, the dance area has one wall covered in mirrors, and the floors are covered in exotic-looking rugs, worn down from years of being danced on, in colors of red, yellow, orange, and different shades of brown. There’s a small shop area where you can buy dance costumes, jewelry, and other fun things. My favorite part of the studio shop is the shoes. One entire wall of the shop area is covered in shoes. These aren’t regular shoes. They’re between five and nine inch heels. They’re every color of the rainbow, and the envy of most women who come through there. While the shop is amazing… I wasn’t drawn to it because of that. I was drawn to the studio mainly because it is always filled with people. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They are all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They supported me no matter what. They believed in me always. My second family exists at that studio, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. It was such a great place.

 

The day of my first lesson finally came. I found out that the two girls I’d met before, the girls, who were now my good friends, were the teachers! They started by telling the other girls to work on a choreography they knew already, and pulled me to the side. They began showing me the basic moves in the choreographies that my dance group knew. Hip bumps, body rolls, egyptian walks, myas… it was like they were speaking another language! Thankfully, I picked up the moves fairly quickly, and in the time of a single, one hour class, I was already joining in with the other girls in the choreography! Unfortunately, I had major stage fright when it came to me performing alone. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I always felt like I was doing something wrong, or that the people I performed for wouldn’t like it. I wasn't comfortable, and for a while I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice.

 

Soon, it came time for the girls in my class and I to do solo performances at a major event. Viking Fest. I had no idea what music to dance to, or even what to do! I was very nervous about the whole thing, and didn’t want to do it. However, with the help of my two best friends, I was able to choreograph an entire four minute long solo to music that was completely original. Most of the girls did their solos to drum music, or beautiful classical music… I chose to do my dance to hip hop violin music. It was original, and had unique beats that made for an amazing performance.

 

I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. I definitely wouldn’t be the dancer I am today if it weren’t for my dance teachers, and the people at the studio. My dance friends worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing, and also developing my own personal dance style. With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. I never thought much about myself until I started dancing at The Dance Within. One thing that will always remain in my mind is what Michele, the woman who owns the studio, told me. She said, “Shelby, you have no idea how precious you are to me. You are going to go so far in life. No matter what you choose to do with yourself, know that here, at the studio, you will always be loved and supported. And if anyone makes you feel like less than the amazing girl you are, you let me know. I’ll take care of them.” Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.

Education Narrative -Rough Draft

Education Narrative

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make so many new friends, to get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me. Through learning how to dance, I learned to not care what people thought of me, or of what I did in my life. I learned about whose opinions to really value, and the ones I could discard. I learned who my real friends were. And most importantly, I learned how to just be me.

The type of dance I do today is belly dance. People tend have some preconceived notions about belly dancers. Some say it’s a ‘sexy’ style of dancing, similar to strippers or pole dancers. I’ve heard it all. It’s actually a dance that requires total muscle control, musicality, and a love for sound. Belly dance is the physical representation of music using only the body.

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They were both beautiful girls, but in such different ways. One girl was tall and blonde, and seemed to move with grace, always. The other was shorter, also blonde, but with blue in her hair. She dressed in all black, always wearing spikes and skulls, yet she was the happiest person I ever knew. They both were so different from each other, yet had one common interest that linked them together. Dance. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes with these two girls, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. The girls who volunteered to do a routine in front of the dance class were so brave! And their dancing was fantastic. I wanted to be with them. To be one of them. To be able to move like that. So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

Let me describe a bit about my dance studio. It is in a tiny building in downtown Poulsbo called The Dance Within. The gorgeous balcony overlooks Liberty Bay, and gives a great place to just hang out. The studio itself is colorful and relaxed, the dance area has one wall covered in mirrors, and the floors are covered in exotic carpeting. The best part about the studio… it is always filled with people. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They are all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They believed that there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish without a little hard work. They believed in me always. My second family exists at that studio, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. It was such a great place that I finally…. Finally…. Signed up for lessons.

The day of my first lesson finally came. The class was being taught by the two girls who'd introduced me to dance in the first place, so I felt comfortable around them. They started by telling the other girls to work on a choreography they knew already, and pulled me to the side. They began showing me the basic moves in the choreographies that my dance group knew. Hip bumps, body rolls, egyptian walks, myas… it was like they were speaking another language! Thankfully, I picked up the moves fairly quickly, and in the time of a single, one hour class class, I was already joining in with the other girls in the choreography! Unfortunately, I had major stage fright when it came to me performing alone. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I always thought I was doing something wrong, or that the people I performed for wouldn’t like it. I wasn't comfortable, and for the most part, I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice. For the most part.

Soon, it came time for the girls in my class and I to do solo performances at a major event. I had no idea what music to dance to, or even what to do! I was very nervous about the whole thing, and didn’t want to do it. However, with the help of my two best friends, I was able to choreograph an entire four minute long solo to music that was completely original. Most of the girls did their solos to drum music, or beautiful classical music… I chose to do my dance to hip hop violin music. It was original, and had unique beats that made for an amazing performance.

I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. I definitely wouldn’t be the dancer I am today if it weren’t for my dance teachers, the people at my studio, and of course YouTube. I swear the best music can be found there. My dance friends worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing, and also developing my own personal dance style. With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.

Education Narrative rough draft ideas

Learning how to dance was one of the greatest things I ever decided to do. It opened up a world of movement, excitement and happiness that I never knew was out there. It made me able to see everything I was missing in my life. I was able to make so many new friends, to get over my stage fright and just let loose! I love being able to develop my own personal style in my dance, and let people see the real me.

My decision to start dance began when I met two very important people in my life. They both were so different from eachother, yet had one common interest that linked them together. Dance. I started going to the performances and watching the dance classes, and I so badly wanted to be with those girls. To be one of them. To be able to move like that. So I finally gathered up my courage and signed up for classes.

Let me describe a bit about my dance studio. The environment is colorful and relaxed, overlooking liberty bay in Poulsbo. The people that work there and take classes there are some of the best people I've ever met. They're all so positive and encouraging, and I immediately made lifelong connections with them. They're my second family, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

The day of my first lession finally came. The class was being taught by the two girls who'd introduced me to dance in the first place, so I felt comfortable around them. Unfortunately, I had major stage fright. I did NOT like dancing in front of the other girls, even after I learned all the basics. I wasn't comfortable, and for the most part, I was allowed to sit out when we did improvisational solo practice. For the most part.

I would not be who I am today if it weren't for those two amazing girls, who became two of my best friends later on, pushing me to always be better. They worked with me outside of the dance studio for hours on end, helping me perfect my technique and look great while dancing.With their coaching, and an insane amount of help from the other women who worked at the studio, I became who I am today. A confident dancer who can get up in front of giant crowds, smile, and dance my heart out by myself without worrying about what they may think. Learning how to dance in such a safe environment allowed me to let loose, to relax, and to have fun. And with that, I learned how to truly be myself around all people.


Blue means I need to elaborate on the topic.
Red means I need to re-word the sentence.
      means I need to continue the sentence.

Cause and Effect- Food

Cause and Effect

Today’s towns and cities are filled to the brim with fast food restaurants and gas stations with packaged, fattening snacks. The high calorie, high carb foods are resulting in obesity in our country. This is seen in both adults and children. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, “since the 1970s, the share of children age 6 to 19 classified as overweight has more than tripled, from 5 percent to 17 percent, while the share of adults classified as overweight or obese rose from half to two-thirds of the population.” The availability and speed of fast food is an appealing option at the end of the day. Not to mention the low prices. This convenience is leading to our country’s high obesity rates.

Works Cited

The National Bureau of Economic Research - http://www.nber.org/bah/2009no1/w14721.html

"Benjamin Franklin's Ed. Nar." response

Benjamin Franklin and Malcolm X's essays were very similar in some ways, but they differed in others.

They both yearned for ways to improve their literacy and writing skills in order to communicate certain ideas. Malcolm wanted to spread the teachings of his mentor, and Benjamin wanted to find his place in the world. Benjamin was raised by a family who, while they weren't wealthy, they had more opportunities for a child such as himself to learn. Malcolm was a man in jail, having to learn by copying a dictionary into a tablet with little opportunities besides the ones he created for himself. Benjamin was able to try out different jobs and activities, before he was able to find what he wanted to do with his life.

However, I got the feeling that Benjamin's father wasn't too thrilled about his son's choices. He was very critical, and while it may have been out of good intentions, he seemed disapproving.

The two men had similar journeys into the world of writing. They started with a strong desire, and built off of that, letting their knowledge grow as much as they could let it.

Pre-writing Techniques

There are several types of pre-writing and brainstorming techniques out there, but only one that I like and will use regularly.

1.      I like to list my ideas.

2.      If I’m starting on a new paper, or a new project, I’ll usually start by listing the things I need to do first, in the order I need to do them in. This helps me by staying organized, and having a plan to follow throughout the process of creating.

3.      I tried doing other pre-writing styles, but nothing has stuck more than listing. And even then, most times I try to stay away from pre-writing unless it’s for a major assignment. I prefer to just have an idea in my head, and write. If I see that things need to be changed, I change them later.

4.      I do believe that pre-writing is sometimes necessary for getting your ideas out there, and having a well written, creative paper that makes sense. Pre-writing is always good for that.

What kinds of pre-writing techniques do you use? Or if you don't use any, how come?

"Malcolm X" response

One of my favorite things about this text was how Malcolm got motivated to read. He was in jail for seven years, and during that time, looked for things to do. Teaching himself the ability to read is very admirable. He spent day after day copying down words in the dictionary, trying to become more articulate. This text was kind of amazing to me. I love how as the essay progresses, the reader can feel his level of determination rising with each new word he learned. He was so motivated and committed to his work.

This essay relates to “How I learned to Program Computers” in many ways. Like Feross, Malcolm didn’t give up. He spent all his time either copying from a dictionary, or reading books into all hours of the night. Malcolm showed true commitment in his task, and was rewarded with results.

Gaining this ability was life changing for Malcolm. Becoming well-read and articulate enabled him to teach others about Elijah Muhammad. If he had not learned how to read and write, he could have ended up back on the streets after his jail sentence or in jail for more time. I believe that is we all put as much commitment and effort into our work as he did, there isn’t anything we couldn’t accomplish.

"How I learned to program computers" response

Reading about how Feross learned how to program computers was really interesting. I was surprised that he started at such a young age! I doubt I could have even created a semi-functional website NOW, let alone when I was 11! However, I believe what he says fully. Practice can only make you better. Doing something over and over again can only help you to become better. I think we could all use this when it comes time to write our first paper assignment. Write several drafts; get second opinions, third opinions, and heck maybe even FOURTH opinions! It can’t hurt right?

Any problem with writing can be solved by writing more. The same way that Feross learned to be great with computers. He did tons of side projects, and along with his school assignments, he practiced for four to five hours a DAY! I’m not saying that we need to put in quite that much dedication, but a little bit would be good. Not to mention… these papers coming up? They’re our grade! So it’s kind of important, if you ask me.

Ultimately, practicing anything will get you better results. In Feross’s case, his practice enabled him to gain skills in an area of work, get a great job, and hopefully a successful future. We can all apply this to our works in the classes to come.

My thoughts on the American education system...

The American Education System

The American education system leaves a lot to be desired. When you think of a school, what comes into your mind? Most people would imagine teachers who love their jobs, students who want to learn, and course material that’s engaging and challenging. Instead we get teachers who hate their jobs, students who would rather be anywhere else, and course material that’s uninteresting and bland. This is especially true of our American high school education system.

            In my personal experience, I’ve had teachers tell me how frustrating and unrewarding it is to have their jobs. They complain about how their students deliberately disrespect them, and most have no desire to learn. In 2009 alone, there were over 60 high school teachers in the U.S that took their own lives due to depression. From this we can assume that some teachers must really not like their jobs at all. If teachers lack the enthusiasm needed to teach, how are students supposed to have any enthusiasm to learn?

            The fact is, most high school students would rather be anywhere else than in a classroom. Part of that is the lack of control in a classroom. More simply stated, students don’t have respect for their teachers. A typical teacher can spend up to ten minutes of their class time trying to get the class to focus, and another five minutes performing disciplinary actions on those students who don’t respond to the warnings. If our students aren’t paying attention in class, what is that doing to our country’s ratings for education? In the world, American students rank 25^th in math, 17^th in science, and 14^th in reading. These numbers are continually dropping, mostly due to the uninterested and unmotivated student body in America.

            It is becoming increasingly difficult to hold a classroom’s attention. Why? Boring, uninteresting course material. What do we need to make the classes more interesting? Money. However, money is being taken out of the school system’s budgets every year. Just this year, 2012, $7 million was cut from the kindergarten – twelfth grade school budgets. Classes are constantly being cut as well. Most of the classes that get cut are language classes, and art classes, which are some of the ones that students most enjoy. The classes that are being left alone are generally the core subjects. Without adequate money in the school system’s budget, how are we supposed to make classes more engaging for our students?

            The answer is: We’re not able to. How can we attempt to fix our school system when there is such a lack of motivation? Teachers don’t want to be in class, students don’t want to be in class, and the classes that aren’t being cut are boring as dirt! In order to make a drastic change in our school system, we need qualified, motivated teachers, and fun and engaging class material. If we were to have that, students would be happier and much more eager to learn. Not only would that boost our country’s ratings in education, but that would also ensure a better future for the students.  The American school system needs a lot of work, but once those changes are made, we’ll have a much better education system to offer our country’s students.